ZamoraBlog » Ben and Sylvia

home safe

Ben — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:56:28 +0000

We made it home safe! We left on the 25 of November and came back home the 8 of Febuary.

Thanks to all and a special thank to Frank.

I will now follow you guys… that feel a bit strange.

Cheers, Ben

Tornado and Huricane

Ben — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:10:27 +0000

Well, some have asked if we where ok, we are. We are a day behind the central-eastern winter tornado-storm. It look bad for many, 55 death. It’s Sunny today near Knoxville Tennesse. We have an ok window to climb back north. Only 1800km to go, we should do 1200km today an an easy 600km daytime tomorrow.

Enjoy the south, it’s getting colder and colder up here… only 2 night ago i was in Zacatecas!!!! ouffff

We love you all! Ben & Sylvie

A long day

Ben — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:39:17 +0000

Hi, quick story, our ride from Villa Corona to Zacatecas was easy, we stayed at the other Del Bosque hotel in Zamora, bad choice, near 2 highway and a train track… we should have gone to the one we all went the first time. Anyway, we still had some sleep. At 7am or so we where on the road, easy ride to the border. The army post (3 0r 4) where easy and even a nice break! yea, they where all polite and almost funny!!! We took the same 54 up (thank Hans) and the quota around Saltillo and Monteray . Anyway, to cut that short: We took the Columbia crossing like suggested by Jerry (one note, there is 2 crossing name Columbia, the international/commercial one and the columbia, this one is more west and that is the one to take, about 15 more km). EASY!!! almost a joke! The shack to give back the hologram , or should i say the booth is just before the bridge, be careful here, it’s about 300 feet on your left before the toll (Mexican side in Pesos – 23), the booth is there by it self, easy !!! there is even a sign!!!! yea, a sign!!! It take about 2 minutes, drive 300 more feet, pay the toll and cross bridge… and you on the US border / custom. The guys at the border, or should i say the GANG where very polite and nice, something i don’t see often in NY state.

So, we kept driving hard and we are now past Houston! over 1300km today. Now, we have to watch that crazy “storm watch” that the midwest-eastern-center states are stuck in right now!!! we should be ok. They are tornado watch and crazy rain fall and stuff. We saw our first drop of rain an hour ago… hey hey… nothing like that in western Mexico!

Well, i don’t know when but we will return to Mexico, that is for sure… will it be in Baja or the eastern, center south and southern parts, i don’t know! For me, the western-north-mid part is to crowdy and to noisy, also, not enough culture and too many gringos. Don’t get me wrong, i loved my trip the whole time… i have learn a lot and i know more. The group trip was fantastic! What i have a problem with is the noise in Mexico (Rooster, dunky, train, church bell, firework, dogs barking, mexican people with there big radio on the beach… at first it’s funny but after 2 months, it’s not!), i felt nothing like that in Baja… but hey! that is ME! Baja felt for me like a very peaceful place compare to the mainland (western in that case). A lot of folks like it like that, and i understand why. Me, i’m different, i like to be alone in a remote beach or beautiful village with no electricity and nothing.

The Mexico i have seen is not what i had in my head or my dream… it’s more modern! And that is cool for the Mexican!!! STILL, i love that country, i just have to find the right spot that suit my needs. Another thing that will shock some… i don’t fell that the Mexican are very warm and welcoming people (in general!!!). Now, me and Sylvie and some discussion before on that subject and we fully agree. They will be nice if YOU are nice first! Even then… But again, we where mostly in between Mazatlan and Manzanillo…. GRINGO LAND, maybe they are tired of us???? I have seen way more smile and welcoming people in some US states and some eastern province in Canada. Again, it’s just a general feeling.

One last thing, driving in Mexico is NOT fun and NOT pleasant in general! the road are difficult, old, damage, un-mark, full of hole in someplace we went, enougt to simply kill your van if you are not careful. (but BEAUTIFUL scenery/view 80% of the time) and the number of topes get to you with time. No sign, no marking on the road.. you need to be careful! But hey, that is Mexico!!! but it is changing… fast! I was driving in Texas today and this is went i realise that!!! ouff, what a difference.

For those who know me enough, i’m like that! i’m honest and i say what i think and feel. There is a lot of different people in life, different needs… some may like stuff and some may not like it. We are all different. That is why i did that brief conclusion. A detail one will follow on my site. By the way, i have posted on my site the nice side of Mexico, the nice pictures… why, because i believe that you have to try it!!! so i gave you the good side.

One last thing…. me and Sylvie where suppose to get back home on the 15th of January… yes, we pushed it a lot, so we didn’t have the luxury of staying at one spot for a month +… and having a lot of time to visit (Like Frank, Jonathan, Ernst… ) other stuff for another 2 months… we had to move a bit and find a place so we could relax and have real vacation on our own… Villa Onac was one, i’m glad we find it because i now feel more relax before going to work hard for another year or so!

Ok, we have 2 or 3 big driving days in front of us, i should go to bed now.

Ben

We are going home…

Ben — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 03:50:23 +0000

This morning, we thought we had find our little paradise Chacala (and by all mean, it is one!)… but the problem was that it is a 3 days Mexican holidays… so we where invaded!!!! Friday it was so calm and nice, we even met back our friend Don from Miramar, but this morning, it became hell. We decided to go in Rancon! we stop at a OXO in Las Varas, i got beers and stuff, i came back, me and Sylvia had a…. moment! we look at each other and we understood it was time to go home… we have pushed it too much. We where supose to be in Montreal on the 15th of January… it’s the 5th today.

It was a great trip! you all know it was. Men, i have almost have tears in my eyes. We are now in Villa Corona, and Jerry was right, it feel different! but hey, it’s part of the trip, it’s life! Tomorrow it’s Zacatecas and the day after, US border! and a race to Montreal, where it’s cold and grey!!!!

To the others that will remain here, please, have a beer on us! We will think about all you guys very often. Thanks to Frank & Rita for putting that trip together!!! thank you! It Sadly time to go home, we love you all.

Ben & Sylvie

Now in Chacala…

Ben — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 01:29:54 +0000

<><><><><><>Well, we did like Villas Onac, but I think everyone, if they have a chance, should stop at Chacala ! Don’t stop during the weekend, make sure you come during the week to find a nice spot. Also, make a left insted of a right when you face the beach. Less expensive, less crowdy, more more more… There is a fast Internet Cafe (Johnathan..<><><><><><><>.)<><>! We have now a free spot, there are two (in between the little palapas), it doesn’t belong to anyone. We may stay here for a few days, an we are going back home… saldy.

Here some pictures of Chacala

<> Cheers, Ben & Sylvie

Going down again…maybe, maybe not!

Ben — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:01:08 +0000

Hi all, well, it’s so cold up there (Canada) that we have decided to spend another good week in Mexico. We also found some $$$ he he he. It is a nice place here and we love it, now, the villas are mostly rented for next week and the RV park (Very clean!) is not that attractive for a small van like we have. But we will still try to find a way to rent another little cabana for a few more days now that Sylvie is DONE with all her paper work and will finaly begin relaxing (she worked a lot lately). The place is one of a kind as to being peaceful, and we like it and need it. We cook a lot and enjoy the silence around here, the only real sound being the waves crashing… Some may not understand our needs but me and Sylvia enjoy peace and tranquility (we like camping on the east/north coast/river in Quebec and the maritimes provinces for that reason). On this trip, so far, it’s the most quiet place we found. That is why i loved Baja so much, i love the beach camping there, you could put your van anywhere on a far and isolated spot/beach and be alone. So far, i didn’t find anything like that on the west coast of Mexico (even if i’m sure there is some!), it’s crowded everywhere (Mazatlan-Manzanillo). Not even sure the Est coast as that either. Also, the night are a little bit warmer lately. If that dosn’t work out, or even in a few days, we feel like going south again. We are looking at some spot north of puerto valarta like Rincon or Chacala that we miss wile comming here???. Chacala look pretty awesome if you do some research. But still, it’s way more crowdy and small then here (this beach must have 50km), the campground in Chacala are more like La Manzanilla, no real official one. Well, we don’t know where to go but north is out of the question. It’s strange, as much as i hated it the first few days (hey, i’m in a Westy!!!) now i kind of like that little luxury…. but don’t get me wrong, I love camping, but my way! This trip as been… a busy one, and i was prepared for that but i was also in need of relaxation, for me and Sylvie. For the moment, I also have WIFI (well, sort of…) and i need it to fix thing with my customers and family. If not, we have ultra High Speed in town (if only i can find a USB keyboard). Anyway that is the news for now.

Ken as left Tuesday for PV, his van must be ready now (paint job). He will go inland? and maybe south after, who knows! Like you know, Linda & Paul where also here for a few days. Anyway, we will keep you up to date.

Ben & Sylvia
ps.: it was Jerry birthday today! we have somewhat succeeded calling him.

Teacapan, draft 1

Ben — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 03:54:02 +0000

Hi all, i hope everyone is fine? We are now in Teacapan, well just north of it, in Villas Onac. A small very quiet resort with a few very nice little Villa. We rented one for a week. There is a big new RV park but the price of the villa (30$) per night was to… tempting. We left Sayolita for Miramar and spent a few days there with Ken a Rick (we met him in Sayolita). It was very nice there. So we said goodbye to all after a few nice day with them. We went north south of Mazatlan on a peninsula that is a dead end. The town at the end is Teacapan. The church said good thing about this place and he was right. So since yesterday we did NOTHING but relax. The beach is ok but no more, it’s colder here, well, it was hot yesterday but the sun was not very present today. I think it’s the same down where you guys are. We will spent about a week here and if nothing is interesting in Teacapan, we may head down south for our last week (or about) of vacation. At top i can push it till the very beginning of Febuary. Not sure where! Not sure of anything. We have WIFI but the connection is slow and sparse. Up north it’s different. How, well first it’s a bit colder, the beach are more desert and it’s NOT a bay here, it’s the Ocean. The very cool thing lately is that there is NO noise, never, not even rooster in the morning. It’s isolated and calm, so you like it or you don’t! La Manzanilla was very nice when we arrived, but i didn’t like a few things there, the influx of people (at some point), the very HIGH humidity, the Bugs and at some point, a gringos town…. BUT, way better than Sayolita, i hated Sayolita for that reason, to many gringos, and the price of everything goes with it!!!! Puerto Vallarta is also not for me, it’s an airplane gringos destination and if i want to go there one day i will go by plane. All those big town don’t interest me anyway. But that is us! Next year i’m comming back, but we will do the est coast and the Chiapas. This trip was one of a kind…. I have NO regret of anything. The group we had (still have in some case) was simply amazing. I wrote that for Paul & Linda also, i’m not exlactly sure what you want wile going back up, so you can juge the pictures i have put on my site and decide where you would like to go! I had my share of noise in that trip and that something i don’t like when in vacation. So camping near town/ village will alsways be a risk. In Sayolita, we had a Disco just behind. In la Ticla, 100 rooster and Donkey, in Villa Corona, it was the BANG BANG of La Guadalupe. La Manzanilla was ok in general, but THAT rooster, i should have cooked it! In Zamora, stuck in between 2 Disco. You should all know that i have a VERY VERY light sleep! That explain everything. I have started that trip with Frank…. we did it! And that is simply amazing!!!

Anyway, it’s not finish for me, i have 2 weeks+ left but i felt like doing a little report on that trip so far.

Many pictures are on my site…. (Harder to upload here but i still can)

So maybe i’ll see some of you again?

Ben & Sylvie

Mangroves (part 2)

Ben — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:12:28 +0000

Part 2 because i just lost a big post after clicking on “post”, probably a server error of my poor connection?

Anyway, short story now:

We spent the day with Corey & Ted yesterday, went for boat tour and see the bird, click here to see.

We had fun and it was a relaxing day on the boat. They left this morning for Coper Canyon, we had thought of going also but after some research we found that its pretty cold there this time of year and the raod can be bad, and i don’t need that. We will see enought cold in 2 weeks.

<>I was able to look a t all the pictures you posted, pretty nice one, i see that you had a great time and that if cool!!!

I wrote a big post but i lost it (i never learn), so i don’t remember much of what i wrote, if i do, i will edit this one.

To all of you, the one on the road, the one at home (sadly) and the one still relaxing, where ever you are. Cheers to you, this trip is great. We already have plan for next year!!!!

<> Ben & Sylvia

Teacapan

Ben — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:52:33 +0000

Hi all, i hope everyone is fine? We are now in Teacapan, well just north of it, in Villas Onac. A small very quiet resort with a few very nice little Villa. We rented one for a week. There is a big new RV park but the price of the villa (30$) per night was to… tempting. We left Sayolita for Miramar and spent a few days there with Ken a Rick (we met him in Sayolita). It was very nice there. So we said goodbye to all after a few nice day with them. We went north south of Mazatlan on a peninsula that is a dead end. The town at the end is Teacapan. The church said good thing about this place and he was right. So since yesterday we did NOTHING but relax. The beach is ok but no more, it’s colder here, well, it was hot yesterday but the sun was not very present today. I think it’s the same down where you guys are. We will spent about a week here and if nothing is interesting in Teacapan, we may head down south for our last week (or about) of vacation. At top i can push it till the very beginning of Febuary. Not sure where! Not sure of anything. We have WIFI but the connection is slow and sparse. Up north it’s different. How, well first it’s a bit colder, the beach are more desert and it’s NOT a bay here, it’s the Ocean. The very cool thing lately is that there is NO noise, never, not even rooster in the morning. It’s isolated and calm, so you like it or you don’t! La Manzanilla was very nice when we arrived, but i didn’t like a few things there, the influx of people (at some point), the very HIGH humidity, the Bugs and at some point, a gringos town…. BUT, way better than Sayolita, i hated Sayolita for that reason, to many gringos, and the price of everything goes with it!!!! Puerto Vallarta is also not for me, it’s an airplane gringos destination and if i want to go there one day i will go by plane. All those big town don’t interest me anyway. But that is us! Next year i’m comming back, but we will do the est coast and the Chiapas. This trip was one of a kind…. I have NO regret of anything. The group we had (still have in some case) was simply amazing. I wrote that for Paul & Linda also, i’m not exlactly sure what you want wile going back up, so you can juge the pictures i have put on my site and decide where you would like to go! I had my share of noise in that trip and that something i don’t like when in vacation. So camping near town/ village will alsways be a risk. In Sayolita, we had a Disco just behind. In la Ticla, 100 rooster and Donkey, in Villa Corona, it was the BANG BANG of La Guadalupe. La Manzanilla was ok in general, but THAT rooster, i should have cooked it In Zamora, stuck in between 2 Disco. You should all know that i have a VERY VERY light sleep! That explain everything. I have started that trip with Frank…. we did it! And that is simply amazing!!!

Anyway, it’s not finish for me, i have 2 weeks+ left but i felt like doing a little report on that trip so far.

Many pictures are on my site…. (Harder to upload here but i still can)

So maybe i’ll see some of you again?

Ben & Sylvie

Ben — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:31:31 +0000

We left La Ticla to go north, we had enough of the… noise (i will eplain that later) and it was also pretty hot in day time! We plan stopping back at La Manzanilla to see our friends but we where running late, i had told Ken that we would meet him in Sayulita… so sadly we pass La Manzanilla “honking” thinking they would hear us (yea, we love you all guys!!!!!), we salute you good friends!!!! i felt i bit sad not stoping… well, that trip as been so nice so far that i’m sure our friends in La Manzanilla will understand… so we went north! (those guys have more time left then us, we need to see more stuff before we head north in 2 weeks or so). So, from La Ticla to Sayulita (just north of Pueto Vaillarta) it’s a good 400km and a 6.5 hours. The drive is crazy 1/2 of it, TWISTY road!!! believe me. Puerto was… well, what i was expecting, GRINGOS city! Peoples flying from the north to have a week in paradise… YES, and they will tell you they have been in Mexico, sure! Anyway, we found a campgroung in Sayulita, Salon El Palmar, and even if nothing was very clear as if we would meet with Ken again… yea, here is the brown Westy there. So we meet again. We spent 2 night there and that was enough for us, too noisy, too many gringos and i felt i was in Florida. Sayulita is a semi-tourist town, no, it’s a full “hip” gringos town… something like that. The camping fee was 5 per person, 5 for the van, 5 for electricity and 2 for an non existing internet connection??? EXPENSIVE and no view of nothing, the playa is crowdy!! it’s a semi-surfing beach but after La Ticla… oufffffff. But, it’s very clean and somewhat nice. We had noise from the Disco just beside and a VERY drunk guys hanging around our van! It’s nice in general but not MY style, Ken and Sylvia didn’t like it either… There is nice chair and unbrella on the beach but hey!!! you need to pay 15$ to get one… tourist trap! Anyway, we met a very nice couple who was going back home after working in the US for 4 years, yea, i said home! Brazil!!!! We met also other cool travelers in all sort of of vehicle and even not vehicle… So we went north after a suggestion from the Brazil couple. We found a small paradise! It’s a bit cooler here but i like it, no humidity and no bugs. We will stay here a fews days.
Anyway, there is new pictures on my site.

Later all, Ben & Sylvie